New Scorpio spotted on the M1

A big mystery Ford has been caught stalking the M1 by a sharp-eyed Autocar reader. The heavily disguised, left-hand drive prototype – possibly a replacement for the Scorpio – was spotted on the M1. Ford sources told us the car was probably an experimental version of the American market Ford 500, fitted with Jaguar’s twin-turbo V6 diesel engine. However, the car differs from the 500 in the design of the rear door and C-pillar – the 500 has three separate side windows. This car also seems to have a tail design borrowed from another of Ford’s American saloons – the Mercury Montego. Inside, the dash features a variation of the American interior with a bulbous centre console finished in brushed aluminium and dials edged with thick steel rings.

Our guess is that Ford is finalising a big executive car based on a stretched Mondeo and garnished with nose and tail details from the 500/Montego. It could be a project aimed at China and central and eastern Europe.